For a moment I toyed with the idea of simply saying "It's a Fleshlight. The End" here. I mean, we all know what Fleshlights are for and that their legions of fans generally claim that these are the best toy a man can get, right? So while a simple, one-sentence review might be enough for some, it's really doing this toy an injustice. Yes, "It's a Fleshlight", but if you're like me and thought that a sleeve is a sleeve is a sleeve then consider this your wake-up call.

The whole adult-toy market kind of intrigues me. It's ironic that men (generally speaking) have the higher sex drives, but there are so many more options available to women. Want a toy? Pick a type. How about a dildo? Sure - what material? How big? How thick? Want it curved or straight? Textured or smooth? Vibrating or not? Realistic or discreet? And so on. But - horndogs that most of us men are (and in the name of non-discrimination I'll say here and now that I've known and loved female horndogs - and I use the term both appreciatively and fondly, especially if any of them are reading this), our toy options remain similar to our dressing up for sex options, with comparatively slim pickings. So while the options for women who want a quick fumble can range from out and out sex toys to hairbrushes, candles, wine bottles and a multitude of other semi-phallic objects, us men generally get the full spectrum of... well, a hand.

Honey? I'm just going to grab my flashlight and do some work in the basement. No, I'll be fine working alone, really.

The makers of Fleshlight tapped into that and what a job they've done. Their sleeves (I don't really feel right calling them toys) are designed to give men something a bit nicer than a fist to slip into and boy do they do the job. For those who are new to penis sleeves - and Fleshlights in particular - the idea is that externally they'll mimic something men want to stick their dick into (did that sound crude? I was going for funny...), often a mouth, pussy or occasionally an ass. Some sleeves do this better than others, some look great and others a little odd (see my Butt Banger review for more on the latter). Their common ground is that they all want you to suspend belief for however long it takes to get the job done while you imagine you're pounding away at someone or something other than your hand. So if you're ready for a flight on a Fleshlight, grab your favourite water-based lube and follow me...

The outer case (the bit that's supposed to look like a flashlight to prying eyes) is a pearlescent plastic and looks... well, nothing like a flashlight. It also has the Fleshlight Girls logo embossed into the side, further detracting from the 'discreet' angle.

When it comes to the fun part of the Fleshlight itself, I've read a lot of reviews and comments saying how realistic the material is. Well let me tell you here and now that I have yet to meet a girl who feels as soft and squishy as the Superskin that's used on these. Rated as a 5 on EF's Material Safety scale, Superskin is a high-quality (but can be equally high maintenance) material that's non-allergenic, latex-free and can be warmed to body temperature to further enhance the realism. As mentioned in the previous section, use only water-based lube with this material and don't use soap when it comes to clean-up (more on that in Care and Maintenance). And as Superskin is a porous material, you're going to want to use condoms if you and a friend are planning on tag-teaming this particular piece of ass.

While I found the material to be very soft and supple, it doesn't feel as though your stroking a finger along Jenna's little pink hole (by the way, the colour is different from the promo pics, and is actually several shades lighter than real Caucasian flesh colouring but manages to keep from being too artificial looking). Personally I find the fact that it's not an exact copy of Jenna's hole both a good and a bad thing. Good because I originally had every intention of buying the other 'Forbidden' Fleshlights since I think each little puckered hole in the series looks sexy in its own right, but bad because it just feels like my fingertip is stroking a small slit in a piece of soft and sexy material.

The inside of the average female anal passage. Or the Fleshlight Forbidden interior. I get them mixed up.

The inside is a different matter though. Being a gentleman, I slipped a lubed-up finger into Jenna's ass first. Imagine my surprise when she turned and said... (oh sorry, wrong web page). Where was I? Oh yes, I slipped a finger part of the way in and immediately found the heavily ribbed section which went on for maybe 2", and after that there is more of a wave. Since this is my first Fleshlight I've got nothing to compare it to but believe that this interior is the same one that's used for all of the Fleshlight Girls 'Forbidden' series, so it's just the outside appearance that differs.

I was surprised at just how large these things are, measuring a whopping 9 3/4" long and 3 1/2" at the widest point (the 'ass') and 2 1/4" at the narrowest point. A lot of that will probably be a waste for many guys - there's not a hope in hell that I'd get 'full' use out of this, but I suppose it's offered as a one-size fits all deal. For that reason, once you get past those first two ribbed inches, it's all going to feel the same as you get further inside, so whether you're 3" long or 9", you'll get the same sensations. If anyone spots you with this and they already own a Fleshlight then they'll know what it is. If anyone else spots you with it they'll either think you're carrying the Olympic Torch or have got some sort of weird and wonderful sex toy in your hand. Either way Lucy, you've got some 'splaining to do.

Aaaaaagh! Ricky, there's a girl's ass in your maracas!

The sheer size and weight (almost 2lb) of the Fleshlight means that things could easily get a little tiring, especially if you're prone to lasting a long time.

The 'Forbidden' range are the anal versions of the Fleshlight Girls range and are therefore tighter than the standard models. Regardless of your experience with anal sex, water-based lube is definitely going to be a requirement if you're going to play 'Just the tip' with Jenna's ass. The Sliquid Sassy Booty has been the go-to anal lube of choice for my wife and I for a few months now, and while it does tend to dry out a little quicker than I'd like, it still worked well with this.

Here's the part where you can't afford to be lazy. Fleshlights - and more particularly the Superskin material that makes up the sleeve itself - require a fair amount of care. If you're the kind of man who likes to do his thing then discard the lovely lady who you've just spent the last 2 hours seducing then you're not going to like the responsibility that comes with owning a high-quality sleeve. For a start, you can't use soap on these since it's going to degrade the material. Luckily all is not lost. The inner sleeve is easily removed from the outer plastic shell and is so pliable that it can actually be turned inside out (I find it helps if you try not to think of this being Jenna's actual ass at this point). After you've done this, it's easy enough to rinse the sleeve with hot water then leave it to air dry. Once dry, it's a simple enough task to turn it inside out again (thereby putting it back to normal) and popping it back into the outer plastic holder. If you've been a lazy boy and your Fleshlight is starting to look like it's past its best then don't worry too much since you can also give the sleeve a more thorough cleaning using a little rubbing alcohol.

Why yes, I did f*&k the ass off her. And here it is.

It's also recommended that you lightly dust this off with a little cornstarch (it's important to remember that talc is a no-no). I've found that once you've used and cleaned the Fleshlight it feels very slightly tacky and the cornstarch trick works very well in bringing the skin-like quality back to life.

I've tagged this as both Easy to clean and High maintenance - that's because it really is easy (remove + use hot water? Duh) but is something you need to do after every use.

Almost every other review that I've read for this model of Fleshlight says that it comes in a metal tin, almost like a Limited Edition. Mine didn't, and came in a cardboard box with pictures of Ms Haze printed on three sides with the fourth having a plastic window allowing you to see the Fleshlight. No mass-produced signed photos or anything special either. That doesn't really bother me since I'm not a collector and really wouldn't have had any use for little promotional items, although a tin would have been a much nicer touch for storage. Due to the size of this, there are few places to hide it and a tin would have given more protection - and last longer - than a cardboard box. My other problem with the box is that it really doesn't give much information. Other than the pictures of Jenna, the back of the box says the following:

Explore Jenna's "forbidden" territory with this custom-molded Fleshlight sleeve, cast directly from her body and accompanied by an exclusive pearlescent case.

I've had my hands on Jenna's box and can report that it's nothing special

It then goes on to give you the kind of personal statistics that a teenage boy probably already knows, including Jenna's height, weight, bra size and favourite sexual position. None of which is useful at all, but since I had little idea of who Jenna Haze was (I just wanted an anal Fleshlight!), this info was wasted on me and probably will be on most other people too, since it doesn't really tell you very much.

Here's something that's very important to note: the Fleshlight comes with a long, hollow plastic rod inserted inside it, almost all the way from top to bottom. I think that's there to help keep its shape during travel, but whatever the reason, check your Fleshlight before you stick anything in there, since you can't actually see this plastic pipe from the outside!! There's an old joke about a Desert Island and checking a hole for squirrels that springs to mind here that I'll spare you from, but still, if you're new to Fleshlights and are eager to stick your furry (or smooth) little friend somewhere warm and willing then the last thing you want is a trip to the ER while you're screaming like a banshee with a blowpipe sticking out of your crotch.

The Fleshlight also came with a small colour pamphlet showing all of their current Fantasy lineup together with the internal textures you can expect with each, along with a small (0.33 fl oz) single-use sachet of Water-based 'Flesh Lube'. I still think you're going to want to be prepared with your own though. Even though I haven't opened the sachet, I really can't imagine it lasting very long.

Once I had decided that I wanted to try a Fleshlight, the next decision was which one? Some of the Lotus ones look nice but I wanted something that was going to offer a little resistance. The mouth one with the vampire fangs? Too quirky and it would probably never listen if I asked it not to use its teeth. I considered the Jack Ass but felt that a lot of the length would be wasted since you've also got the little ass to get past before you enter the sleeve itself. What I really wanted was one of the Forbidden line that are listed on EF but aren't currently for sale, so a process of elimination left me with the Jenna Haze Forbidden, despite not being a particular fan. Although this is modelled on Jenna Haze's ass, there's really nothing about the external look of this that would make me think for a minute that I'm fucking a porn-star's 'special place'. I actually think that the other Forbidden models look a little more realistic than this one, but beggars can't be choosers. It's for this reason that my own description of this sleeve is 'semi-realistic' since I don't actually think it looks like a real ass. Once you're inside it though, the game changes and it definitely does feel like you're having anal sex.

After using the Fleshlight for 10 minutes, you may feel the need to shoot

Once I'd placed my order I became more and more excited at the anticipation of having a Fleshlight ass to play with. The reviews all seemed to be positive and I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to sleeves.

Oral sex from a Twilight boy or anal with a female pornstar? Hmmm... See ya, Sparkles

Since the Butt Banger was my only previous experience with a sleeve, I thought that they'd all be created equal, and when I took this out of the box and had a first quick look I was almost disappointed. That wasn't because it didn't look like a quality item, it was more because I just couldn't see what I could get out of it that I wasn't getting elsewhere. Other than the size and material, it just looks like an approximation of an ass with a slit for an opening. Even though it's almost sacrilege to have a pornstar's 'virgin' ass on my hands, I decided that I was going to send it back unused and untouched. An hour later my curiosity got the better of me and I settled down to give it a try. I didn't do any of the advanced user steps (like running it under warm water first) so just lubed it and myself up. I ran my tip along Jenna's little crack and that sort of felt real - at least more real than the fingertip test. I pushed inside a little and immediately noticed how tight it was - I'd definitely need more lube. So I put even more on me, then a good sized dab on my middle finger and slid that all the way in, making sure the inside was nice and wet. This time I got all the way in and despite the cold (remind me to warm it up next time, please) it actually did feel like being inside a real ass.

The Tooth Fairy's going to have a heart attack when she finds this under my pillow

One of the other things that the Fleshlights have going for them over other sleeves is the end cap (the narrowest end of the case). This is a smaller version of the twist-off cap at the top with one major difference. Rather than twisting it all the way off, you turn this cap to change the suction inside the housing.

On the subject of the suction and textures, I should say here that I'm uncircumcised and it's entirely possible that I'm more sensitive when it comes to the textures in this sleeve. It's also tight enough to push my foreskin back by itself (just like having real anal sex) and is another reason why lube was a necessity. Oh and if you're one of those Fleshlight users who finds that your particular model isn't tight enough, here's a top tip for you: Take the sleeve out and try wrapping some Cling Film (Saran Wrap) or a few hair ties around the length in order to tighten it a little ;) Don't forget to remove them when cleaning though.

I think it's safe to say I've gone from being cynical about Fleshlight's claim to be "The #1 Selling Male Sex Toy In The World" to being a definite convert. I'll probably never become a collector but wouldn't rule out one of the other Girls Lotus models further down the line and would definitely recommend the Fleshlight Forbidden range to anyone looking for a very nice male sleeve.

As you'll have read above, this was my first Fleshlight. What you won't have read is that it led to me buying two more, the Misty Stone Lotus and more recently the Count Cockula (more on that when I review it). Rather than thinking this Fleshlight wasn't enough, I want people to see that it was so good it led me to other models. While I think the Misty Stone 'Lotus' model feels a little more realistic than this one, the 'Forbidden' model does give a definite feel of anal sex.

I'll also say that I think I've got adding cornstarch down to a fine art and I've now gone from thinking "It's ok" to "Yep, feels more realistic now".

Now that I've tried three different Fleshlight models as well as some other male sleeve-type toys, I can say that the Fleshlights win, hands-down. They're definitely worth the money and if looked after will give a lot of fun times, whether it's solo or with a partner.

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